Half a month ago.
Nighttime.
Wiltshire, England – Malfoy Manor.
Draco Malfoy was already asleep, but the lights were still on in Lucius Malfoy's study.
Lucius's expression was anything but pleasant.
The usual aristocratic grace and decorum he loved to preach to his son had completely vanished. There was even a flicker of fear hiding in his eyes.
He never imagined that, in that filthy place called Knockturn Alley, he'd stumble upon a rare "Dark artifact."
When he opened the black notebook, which contained traces of Dark magic, with barely concealed excitement, he never expected that what would emerge was—
A voice and a face he would never forget.
A translucent, ghostly figure appeared in the study. The young Tom Riddle looked at Lucius with a half-smile.
Before Lucius could even think, his knees had already hit the floor.
That's what they meant when they said: the body reacts faster than the mind.
With a face full of fear, he muttered, "My Lord… Dark Lord."
"Lucius, you're an old fox. Spare me the theatrics," Voldemort said with a smile on his face, though his eyes were cold as ice.
"My Lord, I've always believed you could never truly die. I've been awaiting your return," Lucius said, prostrated on the floor, staring at Voldemort's transparent feet as if a breath of wind could scatter him. His tone was even more reverent and sincere.
"Dead? I've already died," Tom said calmly. He knew better than anyone—he was one of the Horcruxes Voldemort had created. If the main body hadn't died, the Horcrux wouldn't have awakened.
Just a month ago, his consciousness reawakened inside the diary. At that same moment, he sensed a death—his own.
Lucius had followed Voldemort for over a decade. He knew very well what Voldemort's ambitions were:
Domination. Immortality.
He had privately done some research into Horcruxes.
As the head of a centuries-old pure-blood family, Lucius actually had easier access to such information than Voldemort.
So when he saw Voldemort emerge from the diary, he immediately realized: this wasn't the real Dark Lord, but a fragment of his soul—one of his Horcruxes. After all, a human soul could only inhabit a living host. A disembodied soul residing in an object could only be a Horcrux.
He was shocked that Voldemort had died—truly died—and, deep inside, a slew of other thoughts arose: so the Dark Lord could die after all.
Of course, not a flicker of these thoughts showed on his face.
Because even as a Horcrux, it was still Voldemort.
He displayed only what a fanatical Death Eater would—seeing his supposedly long-dead master appear before him, he showed reverence, shock, joy, excitement, and devotion.
The Malfoys were excellent actors.
Lucius's greatest regret in life was being seduced by Voldemort's vision of a pure wizarding world. He truly did hate Muggles and non-pure-bloods, but he hadn't expected Voldemort's ideas to grow increasingly extreme—turning him into little more than a deranged killer.
By the time he wanted to leave, it was already too late. Voldemort had grown too powerful. Trying to quit would have meant the death of his entire family.
So he was dragged along, unable to escape, forced to keep running with the war machine.
After Voldemort's disappearance, the Ministry began to purge the remaining Death Eaters.
Lucius spent twelve years under suspicion and social scorn. After all, he was a known veteran Death Eater.
But Merlin, how he had loved the peace and simplicity of those years.
Scorn? Ostracism? So what? It didn't cost him a single galleon. He lived his life as usual.
That was far more comfortable than those fear-filled days beside Voldemort.
Which is why, when he realized he had inadvertently brought Voldemort back into his home, he knew—this might be the second stupidest thing he'd ever done in his life.
Then came the realization: Voldemort had truly died—be it killed, aged, choked on food, drowned—whatever the cause, he was gone.
Don't laugh at how naïve this may sound.
If you walked into Azkaban right now and asked any imprisoned Death Eater what Voldemort was, they'd scream in your ear: "He's a god!"
If you told them he had died, they'd roar back: "Your grandmother's kneecaps! Your grandson's dead, not the Dark Lord! He can't die!"
Voldemort had created a powerful illusion in his followers' minds—that he was invincible. No one dared even think of betrayal.
But with his master's death confirmed, and having witnessed firsthand the weakness of this Horcrux form, cunning Lucius couldn't help but develop other thoughts.
Because he didn't want to go back to those years of living in fear.
Voldemort, of course, had no idea what a drama was unfolding in Lucius's mind.
He still thought it was twelve years ago, when fear ruled and loyalty was absolute. He didn't realize how much things had changed.
He thought back to how he had once stood at the peak, only to lose it all overnight.
His eyes filled with hatred. "Lucius, where is that boy now?"
"You mean Harry Potter? He's attending Hogwarts. After the summer, he'll begin his second year."
"Get me into Hogwarts. I want to see him," Voldemort said.
His defeat had been absurd. He needed to understand whether the prophecy was true. He had to meet Harry Potter.
He also had other goals.
Namely—releasing the Basilisk hidden in the Chamber of Secrets.
Voldemort was suspicious and prideful. He trusted no one—not even his followers. Least of all someone as clever as Lucius.
Now, in his fragile state, he didn't dare tell Lucius everything. He needed to control the Basilisk for his own protection, until he had a proper body again.
And yet… after saying it, a heaviness settled in his chest.
What is this? Could Harry Potter truly be my destined enemy?
"Yes, my Lord," Lucius said, barely containing his joy. He didn't care what Voldemort was plotting—he only cared that he was leaving.
Voldemort's transparent spirit turned to smoke and slipped back into the diary.
Lucius carefully stored the diary in a drawer.
A Horcrux was a ticking time bomb.
He had been imagining the worst: that Voldemort would use Malfoy Manor as a new base, make him recruit followers, reestablish the Death Eaters, start resurrection rituals, and so on—a whole list of self-destructive orders.
But Voldemort wanted to go to Hogwarts instead.
Could there be any better news?
Lucius made up his mind: he would help the great Dark Lord carry out this task flawlessly.
Then he began to scheme: how to sneak a Horcrux into Hogwarts?
If he went himself, that would be far too risky. If caught, he couldn't guarantee certain Ministry officials wouldn't seize the chance to pounce on him.
After thinking it through, a sudden inspiration struck him. He grinned.
He thought of a certain Ministry official who constantly obstructed him and made his life miserable—Arthur Weasley.
If he could frame this on Weasley, now that would be perfect.
Not only would the task be completed, he might even rid the Ministry of that annoying pest once and for all.
Lucius frowned. He still needed to think carefully about the specifics…
-
-
-
⚡ The Rebirth of Harry Potter
📢 Magic Reborn! 📢
The Rebirth of Harry Potter has 100+ chapters ahead available on Patreon! ⚡
Discover the wizarding world's new fate before anyone else.
🛑 Also on Patreon:
Star Wars: The Rise of MandaloreCyberpunk: The RelentlessCyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a SystemMy Cyberpunk 2077 SimulatorMy Girlfriend's a Cyberpsycho—Who Knew?Game of Thrones: Secrets Beneath the DreadfortDragon King of Ice and FireStar Wars: Relics of the PastR18: Reincarnated in Her World
🔗 www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus👤 SrMagnus🐦 https://x.com/SrMagnusBook
⚠️ Vote with Power Stones!